Since the explosion of the craft and micro brew scene in recent times I am curious about the feelings from some of our beer geeks on changes both good or bad. Just as an example, I recall hunting for Stone products and now I can buy them in my local 7-Eleven. So have you seen this growth hurt or help any of your favorite brewers? Is quality dropping or is the income making room for creative flexibility? Are you nervous or hopeful as you observe these market shifts? I added a poll for fun. Happy drinking comrades!
I am going with increased for 1 reason: Short's brewing in Michigan. They went from having their year rounds available everywhere to those plus some 30 or so limited releases each year that are easy to find. I haven't noticed a difference in the qualilty surround the expansion either.
In some ways better and in some ways worse than when I started. On the IPA front, things are so much better. It was hard to find any hoppy beer within 6 months of bottling. Now I can pick from dozens that are within 60 days of bottling. In regards to limited releases that aren't sold online, it's so bad now that I don't even bother with them at all anymore unless I happen to run into one randomly at the beer store.
I believed the title of the poll question was about a brewery opening a 2nd brewery as opposed to additional outlets to buy a particular beer so I answered no difference. I was thinking I could always get Sierra Nevada products before they opened the NC brewery so a 2nd brewery doesn't make a difference to me. Then I read the OP's statement about being able to get Stone at 7-11. But I have witnessed additional beers being available and others that have disappeared so it's a wash and I'll stick with my original answer.
More available and fresher IPAs from the likes of Lagunitas and Smutty are great things. And I've also enjoyed more access to fresh GI IPA and even some one BCBS beers around Boston.
Sorry if the poll is worded in a confusing manner, I really am just referring to expansion in regards to production output and the results of that. That may entail the opening of new breweries in some cases while in others just expanding upon the existing brew schedules or other methods. Each brewery will likely take different measures when dealing with increased demand, while some may not wish to respond at all and will simply keep doing things the way they always have.
Another reason I thought the way I did is because of my belief that many breweries are at or near 100% of their current brewing capacity.
I'm going to say INCREASED because as more and more breweries have success and expand their operations, there are still more new ones entering the market, sometimes making even better stuff. If expansion has caused quality to suffer a little at a particular brewery (and I'm not saying it has), this is more than offset by the influx of new brewers that are also finding success and continuing to raise the bar.
When I saw this Thread Title. I really thought it was going to be about beer and the ever growing pains of an enlarged heart and kidney disease. I was way off. On a serious note. Expansion is a two edged sword. One for IPAs, it's nice to receive fresh IPAs. Yet, a lot of folks around my neck of the woods don't drink IPAs. So in turn I end up seeing great IPAs turn into Shelf Turds. I can't afford/drink them all, I mean cases upon cases sit! I'm not going to buy them past three month limits. Another good example of expansion is if a brewery can produce enough kegs that can go to local "fill stations". Or if a brewery can produce enough of a limited beer that everyone in a region can get their share. Well back to the ever growing pains in my kidneys and chest...
Honestly, I dont' care if a brewery expands or contracts as long as the beer is good. Finding good beer in a wider variety of markets (7-11, Target, etc.) is just a bonus.
